If you are an avid traveler and don’t like leaving your feline friend at home, it pays to know how to get cat urine out of car upholstery. Even in cases where your cat enjoys traveling and is comfortable in the confines of the car, you might not know when they experience stress, leading to an accidental soiling of your car seat.
Numerous considerations determine how to get cat urine out of car upholstery effectively and conclusively. Are you dealing with cloth upholstery, or are you dealing with leather seats? How long has the cat urine patch stayed in place?
In most cases, you can try a DIY cleaning solution of liquid dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, or vinegar, water, and dish soap. If cleaning with supplies available at home does not work, you can use a commercially available enzymatic cleaner for an even more effective cleaning process.
How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Car Seat Upholstery
Has your cat soiled itself in your car? Are you wondering, “How do I get pee out of a car seat?” Well, you have two choices; use your home supplies to clean the mess and odor or purchase a commercial enzymatic cleaner to help you disintegrate and neutralize the contents of the cat urine.
Cleaning a urine patch on your car seat is possible with a few supplies found in your home. A hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap combo is the first DIY cleaning method that will effectively neutralize and eliminate the cat’s urine. The second DIY method involves using vinegar and dish soap.
Note: Always Wear Rubber Gloves When Cleaning Cat Urine Out Of Car Upholstery. Also, Open the Doors To Allow Air To Flow Freely.
Using Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, And Dish Soap
STEP 1: Add 1 ½ cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and a few drops of dish soap to a bowl and mix gently. Once mixed and the foaming stops, pour your cleaning solution into a spray bottle.
STEP 2: Spray the urine patch, ensuring you cover all areas. Let it sit for an hour or two, and then extract as much of the remaining liquid as possible. Wet-vacuuming the spot will result in better results, but you can dub the patch with a dry cloth.
Repeat the cleaning process to ensure you neutralize all of the cat urine. However, if repeated cleaning does not get rid of the cat urine skunk, you should use an enzymatic cleaner.
Using Vinegar, Water, And Dish Soap
STEP 1: Mix 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a bowl. This cleaning solution is effective because vinegar breaks down the urine while disinfecting the area. When used thoroughly, the cleaning solution will get rid of cat urine out of car upholstery completely.
STEP 2: Dip a piece of cloth into the cleaning solution you’ve created and dab the stain. Ensure you don’t wet the urine patch, as it will make cleaning more difficult.
STEP 3: Move from the outside of the cat’s urine stain to the inside.
Thereafter, use a dry piece of cloth to soak up as much cleaning solution as possible. However, using a wet vacuum cleaner is more effective. Use a pet wet vacuum to extract as much of the cleaning solution as possible and then allow the seat to air dry.
Using Enzymatic Cleaner And A Wet Vacuum Cleaner
Using an enzymatic cleaner is a lot easier, as it is designed to break down the urine and neutralize it. Nature’s Miracle Advanced Stain & Odor Eliminator for Severe Cat Messes is among the most popular enzymatic cleaners owing to its effectiveness. Additionally, it doesn’t stain fabrics, including car seat upholstery.
STEP 1: To use the enzymatic cleaner, douse it on the urine patch and allow it to sit as guided by the user’s instructions.
STEP 2: After that, simply wet-vacuum the seat to extract any remaining liquids and help the car seat dry out faster.
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How to Get Cat Urine Smell Out of Clothes
How To Get Cat Urine Out Of Leather Car Seat
There are various methods of how to get a cat pee smell out of car leather seats. The processes can be simple or complecated, depending on the type of leather seats in your car. In some cases, it can be as simple as blotting up the cat urine, applying an enzymatic cleaner, letting the seat air dry, and you’re done. In some cases, you have to access the underlying foam cushion to get rid of soaked cat urine.
However, the success of any cat urine cleaning method is underpinned by removing the urine as early as possible. Allowing the contents of cat urine, such as ammonia, sulfur-containing amino acids, and ampholytes, can discolor or fade the leather at the very least, or damage and crack it.
How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Unperforated Leather Car Seats
Cleaning unperforated leather seats is a tad easier than cleaning seats with ventilation holes. Since leather is relatively liquid-proof, it does not readily allow the cat urine to percolate deep into the car seat.
Using Store-Bought Enzymatic Cleaner
STEP 1: If the cat urine is still fresh, blot (do not rub) it with a paper towel or an absorbent cloth. Absorb as much of the cat’s urine as possible. Dilute a cup of mild dishwashing liquid soap with a quarter cup of water. Using a cloth or rag, thoroughly wash the entire leather seat, mainly focusing on the soiled area.
STEP 2: Cloth-dry the seat, ensuring you don’t leave behind water stains. This is how to get rid of the cat pee smell in cars.
STEP 3: After that, apply an enzymatic cleaner that’s leather-safe and effective. Biokleen Bac-Out Stain Remover and Nature’s Miracle Advanced Stain & Odor Eliminator for Severe Cat Messes are two of the best enzymatic cleaners for leather.
While they’re effective in decomposing the biological material in the cat’s urine, these enzymatic cleaners are not strong enough to break down and eat the leather.
That said, you should be cautious and spray the enzymatic cleaner sparingly but repeatedly until the stain fades. Allow the enzymatic cleaner to sit as directed in between sprays.
Using Home Supplies
You also can try cleaning the cat urine patch using home supplies. To this end:
STEP 1: Mix 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and 4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in a glass or plastic bowl. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and shake gently.
STEP 2: Mist the urine patch and allow the cleaning solution to sit for a few minutes. Wipe the solution with a clean cloth or rug.
If the cat’s urine is dry, you’ll be best served by using an enzymatic cleaner rather than household supplies to clean the dry urine patch. Enzymatic cleaners are much more effective in getting rid of urine stains. Finally, apply a leather conditioner to keep it soft.
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How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Perforated Leather Cat Seats
Cleaning cat urine out of perforated leather seats is much more complicated than cleaning leather seats without the ventilation air holes. The perforations increase the rate of soaking and the amount of cat urine that soaks deeper. Perforated leather does not provide a barrier to urine.
As such, it might be best to leave this work to professional car detailers. However, if you still want to go ahead, be prepared to remove the leather upholstery from the car seat or even the seat from the car to give it a proper clean.
STEP 1: Douse the urine spot with an enzymatic cleaner, and let it sit as directed by the product’s instructions. Importantly, wet the urine spot with roughly the same amount of enzymatic cleaner as there is in the amount of urine.
STEP 2: After letting the enzymatic cleaner sit for enough time, use a wet vacuum for pet mess to suck as much of the remnant liquid as possible and let the seat air dry.
If necessary, repeat the cleaning process a few more times until the cat urine stain and odor dissipates. After repeated application of the enzymatic solution, the smell should dissipate completely. However, if the smell persists, consider removing the leather upholstery and applying the enzymatic cleaner directly to the stuffing.
How To Get Rid Of The Odor From Cat Urine On Leather Car Seats
The most effective solution for how to get cat pee smell out of car seats is to neutralize and extract all of the urine from the seat. As long as there are remnant molecules of ammonia and amino acids that cat urine contains, the seat and the car will retain the characteristic cat urine skunk.
Consider deodorizing the seat if you still notice cat urine odor after cleaning your leather seat repeatedly with DIY cleaning solutions and/or enzymatic cleaner. To this end, fill a plate or bowl with activated charcoal.
Use White Vinegar, Baking Soda, or Freshly Ground Coffee
Step 1: Place the bowl or plate of freshly ground coffee, baking soda, or white vinegar near the urine spot and leave it in place overnight. The deodorizing agents absorb the smell, leaving behind a fresh-smelling car (coffee-smelling if you use ground coffee).
STEP 2: Repeat the process if the DIY deodorizing methods do not work the first time.
Use An Ozone Generator Deodorizer
Alternatively, consider buying an ozone deodorizer such as the Enerzen Ozone Generator. The Ozone Generator works by producing an unstable oxygen molecule containing three oxygen atoms.
The extra oxygen atom readily detaches from the ozone molecule. It attaches to the odor-polluting molecules, changing their molecular composition to non-smelly molecules and leaving your car smelling fresh.
The main advantage ozone generators have is their ability to neutralize foul smells on various materials and surfaces at home. An ozone generator is an essential addition to your cleaning appliances for pet owners worrying about odors.
Read More On How Long Cat Urine Odor Lasts
How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Car Seat Straps
Cleaning cat urine out of seat straps is a considerable challenge, mainly because of the inherent challenge of cleaning car seat straps in the first place. Car manufacturers stipulate that you should never douse or soak the straps in any liquid, even water. Exposure to fluids will weaken the fibers, leading to failure when the straps are fastened during emergencies.
Given the thoroughness of cleaning and cleaning solutions you need to clean any cat urine to get rid of the stench, it’s virtually impossible to get cat pee out of cat seat straps and guarantee the straps remain safe to use.
The best solution is to replace the belts altogether. You get rid of the urine smell and ensure they’re safe to use.
In fact, there is a case to be made that exposure of the straps to the cat urine is enough reason to replace the straps. The water and ammonia content of urine will cause deterioration of the straps.
Reupholstering Or Replacing The Seat As A Solution
All cleaning methods considered, we must appreciate that cat urine produces a difficult stink to get rid of. It might be the case that your DIY efforts will not suffice, and you need professional car upholstery cleaners.
For instance, if you have an extremely sensitive nose, you’ll most likely notice even the slightest of cat pee wafts that may linger if ammonia does not break down entirely during the cleaning process. On the other hand, you might use your car for business, say moonlighting as an Uber driver, which requires your vehicle to smell fresh at all times.
In extreme cases, the urine can soak deep into the seat fabric and cushions. And unless all of the ammonia breaks down and is extracted from the cushions, the stench of cat urine will return in the summer like cloak-work.
In such cases, chances are reupholstering your car seat might be a cheaper option to deal with the lurking stench conclusively.
If your car model is popular and common enough, purchasing a new replacement seat from resellers or junkyards is also a good and cost-effective solution. Buying a used car still in good shape might be better than giving your car a regimen of extensive cleaning now and again.
Pro Tip: Ultimately, preventing such accidents is in your best interest. Some cats will soil their surroundings due to stress. Please find a way to help your cat relax as you travel with it. Consider buying an appropriate cat carrier for car trips, like the Pet Magasin Soft-Sided Cat Carrier, and placing a pee pad at the bottom.
Throw a small cat toy in the carrier to keep your feline friend relaxed and distracted.
Will My Cat Pee In The Car?
There is no telling. Generally, cats can go over 6 hours without peeing. However, cats, as humans, are unique. Some cats tend to pee a lot when stressed. Placing your cat in a carrier or just being in the confines of the car might stress it, especially if they’re not used to staying in enclosed spaces. In such cases, your cat might find it hard to hold pee in.
Does Urine Stain Car Seats
Yes. Left in place long enough, urine (pet or human) will stain your car seats. The visibility of the stain will largely depend on the color of your seat. A light-colored seat will only work to highlight the presence of the stain. Conversely, some dull-colored seats might musk the urine stain, even though it will be there.
Cat urine is especially staining, as it tends to be more concentrated with ammonia, amino acids, and other molecules.
Conclusion: How To Get Cat Urine Out Of Car Upholstery
While preventing cat urine from soiling your car seat is always better than cleaning the seat, accidents do happen. Dealing with cat pee in cars requires you to understand your individual situation. Assess whether you need to remove the upholstery to access the underlying stuffing. Try out the DIY cleaning methods we’ve discussed above.
However, if the DIY methods do not work after repeated cleaning, use an enzymatic cleaner. Finally, an ozone generator deodorizer will always help eliminate the last traces of cat urine.
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